Project Breakup
by Mitzsie
Summary: Zack spent years pursuing Angeal, only to be told they could never be together. It wasn't until he moved on that Angeal changed his mind. [Z/C, A/G/S. Eventual ASGZC]
1. Chapter 1

**PROJECT BREAKUP.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

"Strife, I'm gonna need you to stay after class."

It wasn't the first time the blond had been asked to stay after class, and it seemed like it wouldn't be the last either. He froze in his position, looking as miserable as possible as he nodded in acknowledgment. His classmates were already shuffling toward the door, their reactions mixed—some looked sympathetic, other jealous. Usually _no one_ wanted to be held after class, but in this case? Alone time with Instructor Fair didn't sound like such a bad thing, no matter how ominous his tone was.

Zack walked toward the door, closing it when the rest of the students were gone. "You were last…again." He shook his head as he turned around, eyeing the blond with as much seriousness as he could muster. Even that wasn't much, an obvious smile tugging at his lips as he began his approach.

The cadet tried to keep playing along, but he was having the same difficulty; he didn't find anything about his instructor scary. "Are you going to punish me, sir?"

"Punish you?" Zack repeated, chuckling at the idea. "I was going to _thank _you, but if you prefer punishment, I can think of a few things."

Cloud's worried expression had already cracked into a growing smile as his instructor stepped closer. "I'm beginning to think you do it on purpose."

"Do what?"

"Put me in impossible situations," the cadet accused, jabbing a finger into the Soldier's chest when he was within reach.

"Impossible?" his instructor scoffed, grabbing the cadet's hand and giving it a quick squeeze before letting it drop. "I just expect the best from you."

"Or you like having me stay after class."

"That too."

The younger boy looked satisfied with the response, but his eyes grew wary. "I need you to stop doing that."

"I'm the instructor here!" Zack teased, eyes lighting up playfully.

Cloud couldn't fight off another smile, but he tried to hold his ground still. "If you want to _instruct _me, that's fine! If you just wanna talk, then—"

His words were cut off as Zack's lips grazed his, a bit too briefly for either of their liking. "Maybe I just wanna kiss my boyfriend."

"Me too, but this isn't the best place. We could get in serious trouble if someone sees us."

"Hey!" Zack exclaimed, a genuinely hurt expression forming on his face. "I wouldn't do anything that would get you in trouble, Spiky. Plus, this all started before I even got this position, so it's not really our fault we're in this situation."

"Did it?" Cloud countered, shaking his head as he thought about it. "I mean, we were talking, but nothing really happened until after you started."

"It's not my fault that I didn't realize how cute you looked in your uniform."

"Uh, I think I was wearing it when we first me, so if you didn't notice…" The cadet shrugged, laughing as Zack frowned. "I'm still glad this all happened, but no one really knew we were friends before. They're asking a lot more questions now, especially since you're asking me to stay after class _every_ day now."

"Don't act like you're so innocent. You've been giving me bait!" Zack declared, looking sure of his assessment. "I think you mess up on purpose so that I'll have an excuse to have you stay."

The boy's face grew red, and he was unable to deny that it was at least partially true. Sometimes it seemed like Zack would ask him an impossible question for an excuse to 'scold' him, but on days he didn't…it took some creativity. "That's not the point!"

"Then what is? No one knows about us," Zack insisted, grabbing the boy's hand into his own. "And they won't. Not till after this semester ends. When your birthday passes—"

"And when you're not my instructor," Cloud added, still nervous just by the idea of it.

"And that," the Soldier agreed with a nod. "We'll be careful until then."

"They think I'm gonna get kicked out of the program if I don't start doing better."

"Well, c'mon, Spiky! I know you like being around me all the time, but you don't hafta mess up on purpose! I can just find another reason to get you to stay. I mean, your shirt isn't even tucked in properly. That's against regs," he pointed out, shaking his head as he pulled the boy closer by the hips.

"It's tucked in—" he began, quickly silenced against Zack's lips once more. A hand began to tug at the shirt while their lips were pressed together, and soon Zack's words were proven true. "Not fair!" Cloud muttered, not breaking away from the kiss.

"Hmmm, not supposed to be," Zack replied, wrapping his arms around the cadet and pulling back just slightly. He stared down, admiring the younger boy's features up close and contemplating another kiss. "If the other kids are buggin' you about it, I'll stop," he promised, not sounding pleased with the idea.

"I have another class," he said, letting out a disappointed sigh as he forced himself to take a step back.

Zack smiled down, nodding in understanding. "Okay. Why don't you swing by after and we can hang out? I just bought that new game, so I can whoop your butt until you're sulking…then I'll try to think of something to do to make you feel better."

Cloud glared up at his boyfriend, not distracted by his shameless hinting. "We'll see who's sulking. Just because you're better with a sword doesn't mean you can beat me at a shooting game."

"Is that a challenge, Spiky?"

"Of course it is!"

Zack grinned, watching as the boy hurried to tuck his shirt back in. "I just wanna tear it off," he said, laughing softly as the boy's face turned red again. A hand trailed across Cloud's face as he stared fondly, pleased to see the boy was amused despite his embarrassment. "You sure you gotta go to class? I don't have anything going on the rest of the day."

Cloud frowned, easily tempted. His time with Zack was always limited to early mornings, late nights, and stolen moments between classes. Usually that was because the Soldier's schedule was packed with classes, paperwork, and training...It wasn't like they could be seen out in public, and Zack's friends monopolized his free time without even knowing. Skipping class wasn't an option though.

"I have an exam," the cadet replied apologetically. Zack didn't try to conceal his disappointment, but he made no argument. "I'll come by as soon as it's done."

"Okay. Want me to order pizza, or something else?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied with a shrug.

The blond looked down at himself, making sure his uniform wasn't too disorderly before meeting Zack's eyes again. He was ready to say his goodbye, but as he was looking up he realized that at some point in during their conversation, the door had opened. A large figure had stepped into the room, and was watching the pair carefully from a short distance away. Cloud recognized the man immediately, though they had never met.

When he fumbled into an awkward salute, Zack arched an eyebrow, following the boy's gaze. His pale blue eyes widened just slightly, but he tried not to allow his panic to show.

"Hey 'Geal," he said, much more tentatively than his usual greeting.

Cloud's eyes had fallen to the floor, and his worry was much more apparent. He didn't wait in the room to react though; he rushed toward the door, not daring to look at Zack as he exited. The moment the door was closed again, the elder Soldier crossed his arms and eyed his former student intently.

"What was that, Pup?"

"Uh," Zack scratched the back of his head. "Depends how much you saw?"

"Since when do your answers depend on anything?" Angeal replied, frowning. "We've always been honest with one another."

The words hit hard, prompting a wave of guilt to wash over the younger Soldier. "You're right. It's just…complicated this time."

"He's your student."

"I've known Cloud for a long time now."

Angeal just shook his head, his expression stern. "It doesn't matter. He's a child still."

"He's 16!" _Almost_, but that didn't seem worth adding. A month would only change things from a legal perspective—it wasn't as if Cloud would have a sudden transformation when the day actually passed.

"Then what were you saying about waiting for his birthday?"

"How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. You didn't even hear the door open." He paused, giving his former student a moment to understand the severity of the situation. "Imagine how different thing conversation would be if someone else had walked in here."

"I get caught up when I'm around him, and I just…I know what it must look like to you, but it's not like that."

"He's your student."

"Doesn't matter how many times you say it, I already know, and I already thought about it. We met _months _before I got placed on teaching duty. It was all just a bad coincidence when I got his class."

"That doesn't change the fact that it's now allowed. Policy prohibits these kinds of relationships for a reason, Zack. Being an instructor puts you in a position of authority over him. So long as you have control over his grades and progress, he may not feel like he can say 'no' to you. It doesn't matter how old he is, or how genuine his consent seems."

"You think I'd use my position to pressure him into something?" The hurt he felt came out with every word, and he stared at his mentor with clear disbelief.

"No, Zack," Angeal said, his expression softening in an instant. "I know you. That doesn't change the fact that you aren't exempt from the rules. I have a responsibility to act when I see a situation like this."

"I'm not sleeping with him, 'Geal," Zack explained carefully, his eyes pleading with his mentor. "We both agreed that we're not gonna cross any serious lines till after the semester ends. I'll be outta the instructor rotation, and by the time it's my turn again, he won't be a cadet anymore. None of this will matter then."

"I believe you, but that doesn't change anything. It's still not an appropriate relationship for you to have with him under the circumstances. If you choose to resume things after the semester, so be it, but it needs to end for now."

"And if it doesn't?"

"It won't be up to me to determine your punishment—it'll go directly to a review panel. At minimum, you'd be placed on short term suspension from all duties, depending on what the investigation turned up," Angeal told him with a sigh. "Don't put me in that situation, Pup. Take care of it before it goes that far. Understood?"

"I understand," Zack responded slowly, which wasn't the firm 'understood!' that the situation required.

Angeal stared at his former student knowingly. "Zack..."

"I know what you wanna hear, but I don't wanna lie to you. He's important to me, and I can't just end things because you want me to."

"It's not because I want you to, it's because it's against policy," Angeal reiterated.

Zack wasn't convinced. "C'mon, 'Geal. If Gen had been the one to walk in, we both know he wouldn't have cared. I'm not doing anything wrong with Cloud, and you know it. You're just making it into something else because you've got a weird thing about situations like this."

The elder Soldier frowned just slightly, taking a minute before responding. "What if I didn't?" he asked, the hesitation in his voice barely detectable. "I think what you're doing now is completely inappropriate, but what if I realized it wouldn't always be that way?"

The color drained from Zack's face as the question hit his ears, and he felt his heart sinking. He would have assumed he was imagining the double meaning behind his mentor's words, but the way the questions were posed seemed too careful to be a coincidence. "_What_?"

"What if I told you that maybe he's too young for you now, but it wouldn't be that way indefinitely?" he continued, brows furrowed as he met Zack's eyes. "You won't always be his teacher. The things that make it wrong now won't last forever."

The younger Soldier opened his mouth, but was unable to speak for a minute. "Are you saying…?"

"I think you know what I'm trying to say."

His heart was racing faster than he would have liked to admit, but there was no stopping it. This was what he had wanted to hear for years. He eyed Angeal carefully, knowing how he wanted to react, and knowing that he couldn't. The fact that this was happening now was just cruel.

"I think so too, I just don't get why you're saying it _now!_" Zack exclaimed, shaking his head fervently. "I didn't choose to be with a student to prove some kinda twisted point to you. I'm with him because he's important to me, and it didn't matter if he was a cadet, Soldier, student, or anything! It was just about me and him, and how we felt. And _you!_" He pointed a finger at his mentor, shaking his head once more. Again he was at a loss for words, pacing as he tried to figure out what to say next. By the time he met Angeal's eyes again, he was too frustrated to hold anything back. "I can't believe you'd come here and say that now. I told you how I felt about you. I _told_ you!"

Angeal didn't visibly flinch, but Zack could recognize the struggle in his mentor's eyes. "I remember."

"And you told me no," Zack reminded him, a long, drawn out sigh coming out as he threw his arms up in defeat. "Not just no, but _never_. Even when I wasn't your student, you said it couldn't happen. I would always be too young for you. I would always be your 14 year old puppy_, _and you could never think of me any differently. That's what you said!" He didn't care that he was basically repeating himself, or that he sounded as bitter as he felt. It wasn't something he was accustomed to feeling, and it seemed better to vent it out rather than let it build.

His mentor hadn't responded to anything, and didn't look like he was ready to just yet. He knew Zack too well. The younger Soldier had never been good at holding his feelings in, though usually they were all positive feelings—excitement, amusement, enthusiasm. These frustrations needed to be aired too, and they were justified. All he could do was watch as his former student tried to grasp it all, wishing he could reach out, but knowing that wouldn't help this time.

Zack came to a halt again, staring expectantly at the older Soldier. "Why're you saying this now? What changed?"

"Nothing changed," he admitted, forcing himself to remain composed despite the ache he felt inside. "Every time you confessed your feelings, I wanted to tell you I felt the same way. I couldn't though. There were things you didn't know. You were too young, and it wasn't appropriate to—"

"I told you on my 16th birthday…" Zack's stare was contorted with a familiar sadness; one that he thought he had moved on from. "I told you again after my promotion to First. I told you _again _when I first started to have feelings for Cloud because I _knew…_The moment I met him, I knew he was someone I'd be interested in, but I was still holding out for you."

Angeal's heart fell further with every word, and he nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. I could never be mad at you," Zack told him, running both hands through his black spikes. He knew deep down that Angeal wouldn't deliberately hurt him, and while it didn't make the situation easier, it was pointless to try to hold a grudge. "The thing is, it doesn't matter. I'll always feel something for you, but none of it changes how I feel about him."

"I won't report you or press the issue for now," his mentor promised, eyes falling to the ground. "Just be more careful. I won't be able to look the other way again, and I can't protect you if someone else were to find out."

"Okay." There was an awkward feeling in the air between them, and neither seemed to know what to say next. They had gone through awkward conversations like this before—usually ending with Angeal telling Zack that things would stay normal between them, despite his unrequited feelings. Zack frowned, realizing it was _his _turn to be the reassuring one. It didn't feel right, but he wasn't about to let things stay awkward with Angeal. "What'd you really stop by for?"

"I just wanted to see if you had time for lunch."

"Still wanna?"

"If you do."

"Of course I do," he said, his enthusiasm returning gradually.

Angeal met his eyes, forcing a slight smile. "Let's go then."

Zack nodded, trying to play along as happily as he could. They exited the room together, both processing everything that had just been said as they carried on with the first pointless conversation Zack could come up with.

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><p><em>I hope you enjoyed Chapter One! Reviews would be great! I have the chapters all planned out already, so I'll have more up as soon as I can. Title and eventual ASGZC aspect will make more sense after a while—it's not a quick transition.<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Genesis's eyes flickered up from his book before cycling back down to the page, repeating the motion at the end of every paragraph.

There was something strange happening, and he hadn't figured out what it was just yet. He was reading at the dinner table, waiting for the inevitable comment about how rude it was. Normally he'd only make it through a chapter before his attention was captivated by one of only three men who could pull him away from a good book, and despite the fact that two of those men were present, he'd already finished a second chapter without interruption.

Of those two men, Angeal was the one he expected to speak first, and so he was the one Genesis fixated on. The subtle glances went unnoticed though, and so he allowed his gaze to linger a moment longer each time. Soon he was blatantly staring over the top of his book, drawing several conclusions as he observed the burly Soldier. He set the book down loudly, astounded that he _still _hadn't caught the man's attention.

"Why are you sulking?" he demanded, a bit disgruntled that he even had to ask.

Even that didn't snap Angeal out of his daze immediately; it took a minute for him to realize the question was being posed to him, and he shook his head silently. When it became clear that gesture wouldn't suffice as a response, he offered a reluctant, "I'm not."

"Angeal!" Genesis exclaimed, offended by the denial.

He saw the way Angeal's brows were furrowed—the way he blinked his way back to reality after Genesis had called for his attention. Even the way his fingers were curled into a fist was obvious, despite the fact the larger man had his hands in his lap—the way his arm muscles were tensed was an easy giveaway. Not to mention the plateful of food that was being ignored. They were sitting at the table for a reason, and _he _was the only one who had eaten already.

He let out a short sigh when Angeal didn't respond. "I've known you for how long? I think I can tell when you're upset."

"You're wrong this time."

Genesis stared at him with awed disbelief before turning his head to the third person at the table. Sephiroth was eating his meal without showing any signs of distraction—fork and knife in hand while the other two men spoke. He didn't have to offer his undivided attention to know exactly what was happening, and he set his utensils down gracefully as soon as the redhead's eyes landed on him.

"Tell him you agree with me, Seph."

Sephiroth turned to Genesis first, blinking once at the request. There was an unspoken understanding in the redhead's eyes, but he still stared back expectantly. He turned his bright mako-green eyes to Angeal, already having drawn his own conclusions.

Deducing Angeal or Genesis's emotional state was a simple task for Sephiroth; they had been an important part of his life for many years, and he knew them both well. He could see just as plainly that Genesis was correct—that something was plaguing Angeal's mind. Demanding he speak about whatever was troubling him was disconcerting though. It was preferable when his boyfriends offered their thoughts freely; then he could respond accordingly—if they broached a subject willingly, _then _he could request additional information.

It was clear why Genesis was demanding he chime in this time though.

His kindhearted companion was deploying a tactic he was intimately familiar with—he had retracted into himself, which wasn't typical for Angeal. The burly Soldier tended to speak passionately about everything in his day to day—his missions, training, hobbies, student—always with a warm smile on his face. Even his frustrations were aired regularly, though perhaps not in the same loud, dramatic manner as Genesis.

If he had chosen to keep something to himself and it was visibly upsetting him despite his efforts to conceal it, then it had to be serious.

"Something appears to be bothering you," Sephiroth concluded, pushing his personal discomfort aside—it was more important to try to help Angeal under the circumstances.

Genesis perked up in his chair, smirking victoriously. "See? That's two against one!" When Angeal failed to react, the gloating ceased, and Genesis quickly changed to a more concerned tone. "Are you okay?"

"I came here to have a normal night with both of you," Angeal responded, a forced smile tugging at one side of his mouth. "I appreciate your concern, but I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"We may be able to assist you, Angeal," Sephiroth offered, his steady tone oddly reassuring.

"Does this have something to do with your pet?" Genesis guessed, his eyes lighting up with interest as his old friend shifted just barely. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"We are aware of your feelings for him." Angeal's eyes widened in surprised, but neither of his boyfriends seemed upset by the topic. Sephiroth continued, "There is no reason to feel awkward discussing this matter with us."

"We care about him too, 'Geal," Genesis added, a reluctant smile on his face when their eyes met.

The reassurance seemed to set Angeal at ease, at least somewhat—he ran a hand through his long hair, a short sigh as it fell back to his lap. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

"We discussed it, and decided it'd be best to let you come to us when you were ready," Genesis explained, frowning at the words. "You certainly took your sweet time though."

"I took _too_ much time," Angeal confessed, shaking his head dismally.

"Well, you should have opened up to us sooner, but you don't need to be so upset," the redhead told him, not seeing the problem. "Now that we're all aware, let's talk about it. Seph and I have grown to care about him just as much as you—this doesn't have to be a problem."

Angeal looked from Genesis to Sephiroth, pausing for a long minute. "I'm sorry."

"An apology is unnecessary."

"I'm apologizing for something else," Angeal responded, a pained look apparent in his eyes. "I'm sorry I waited to tell you, but…"

"Angeal, you can tell us anything," the silver haired man reassured, growing more troubled by the word.

More often than not, _he _was the one being reminded that it was okay to open up more—and he always did, or at least tried as best he could. Sometimes it was difficult to convey his feelings properly, but the effort always pleased his boyfriends, and so he continued trying. Communication was important in their relationship; they cared about one another, and needed to be open and honest. This particular subject was a unique one, and had only gone unmentioned because there were several valid reasons to wait before addressing it.

He and Genesis had understood and respected how conflicted Angeal felt about Zack, and intentionally never pushed the subject despite their own growing attachment to Zack. If they intended to accept anyone else into their relationship, it needed to be a group decision—one they were all comfortable with, and that meant giving Angeal the time he needed to come to terms with his feelings. The two had discussed the matter thoroughly, and agreed to wait for Angeal to approach them about it first.

It was distressing to see Angeal still holding back, even after the subject had finally come up in conversation.

"I'm sorry my waiting put us in this situation. If you care about him the way that I do, then you'll be just as…" He shook his head, hanging onto Genesis' gaze as he tried to find the right word. Heartbroken would have been the most accurate word, but he wasn't sure the extent of their feelings for Zack—he settled on a different word. "Upset."

"What do you mean?"

"He told me so many times how he felt," Angeal started, turning his gaze to Sephiroth. The silver haired man gave a slight nod, waiting for his boyfriend to continue, "and I denied feeling the same—to you, to him…to myself."

"How could you deny it?" Genesis asked, genuinely curious. "We watched you two together—saw how it changed over the years. You loved him well before he ever confessed to loving you."

"It wasn't appropriate. I don't think I accepted the possibility until after his promotion to First, and even then…" He shook his head again, looking as torn as he felt. "I was planning to wait for his birthday to pass before mentioning it to you—I wasn't sure how you'd feel about him, or any of this, but I had every intention of asking you both when the time was right."

"His birthday? He's been legal for years now!"

"I know, but he's turning 20 this year. I thought…I know it sounds strange, but I was hoping if he weren't a teenager anymore, it wouldn't feel—"

"Like you were violating your teenage student," Genesis finished, openly laughing as Angeal nodded. "He's been after you for _years! _Obviously he doesn't think of it like that, and neither should you. We don't need to wait. Seph and I have both spoken with him already, and I'm certain he'd be open to all of us. He just never considered it because he thinks Seph and I are together, which is _also _your fault."

"I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable when he was around the three of us—like a fourth wheel," Angeal explained, a bit defensive now. This was an old debate, and one that he only won because his boyfriends accepted that _he _was Zack's mentor, and that meant he had the final decision over what his student was exposed to. "What did he say to make you think he'd be open to all of us?"

"He told me about his feelings for Seph," the redhead revealed, a smile growing at the surprised look his words had caused. "It's easy to get him talking about these things if you ask the right questions. As soon as he realized I wasn't going to be territorial, he opened right up—it was sweet, really. If anyone else showed that kind of interest, I _would _have run them off, but Zack...I was relieved to hear how he felt. He has a special bond with Seph, and he knows it. He just values our friendship too much to think about it more."

"I had a similar conversation with Zack," Sephiroth added, drawing an equally surprised look out of Angeal. "About Genesis though. If he were made aware of the full extent of our relationship, I believe he would be open minded about joining us."

Their words provided no relief to Angeal—after he accepted what had been said, he only seemed more hurt by the situation. "I'm sorry," he said again, a short sigh escaping his lips. It was time to let them know what was really bothering him. "We're too late now. Zack is seeing someone else."

Genesis snorted, not impacted by the severity in Angeal's tone. "I'm sure it's not serious, and it's not like he'd turn _us _down if he had the option."

"He didn't turn us down, he turned _me_ down. I know I should have talked to you first, but when I found out, I couldn't hold it back any longer," Angeal admitted. "It didn't make a difference."

Sephiroth and Genesis exchanged a stare, each surprised in their own way before turning back to Angeal. "Who is it?" they asked, almost simultaneously.

"I shouldn't say," Angeal muttered, shaking his head. All three knew he wouldn't refrain from telling them anyway, so no one pressed the issue. They just waited a moment while he collected his thoughts, watching as he looked from one to the other. "It's a cadet. One of his students."

Sephiroth raised both brows just slightly, while Genesis openly gasped. "He's trying to prove a point to you!" he decided, rolling his eyes. "Dramatic little pet. I think he learned that from me."

"I had the same suspicion, but that's not it. I walked in on them while they were together, and they were so lost in each other's presence that they didn't even notice anyone had entered the room. Zack, at least, should have heard me before the door even opened. You should have seen the way he looked at the boy…he's completely enamored."

"Instructors are not permitted to have relationships with students. If you witnessed such a violation, it is your responsibility—"

"I know," Angeal cut in, almost apologetically as he eyed Sephiroth. They all shared the same responsibilities, but they understood that differently than Genesis; it wasn't like Angeal to ignore something like this. "I told him that, and I asked him to do the right thing without my intervention. He admitted that he had no intention of ending things, and I respected his honesty...I implied that he may have just been trying to prove a point, and I told him that it wasn't necessary," he said, slowing down rapidly in his explanation. "He said it didn't matter. He cares about me, but it doesn't change how he feels about the boy. I agreed not to press the issue unless they get caught together again."

"Well, I didn't," Genesis declared, his eyes lighting up slowly. "Now that everything's out in the open about all of this, maybe it's time _I _had a little chat with our pet. I'll remind him who he belongs to."

"He doesn't belong to anyone, Gen."

"He's _ours_," Genesis disagreed, too adamant for either of his boyfriends to counter. "I think Seph has a point. If he's seeing a student, we have a responsibility to end things. If you don't want to be the one to intervene, I will."

"You can't take action on something you didn't witness," Angeal reminded him, regretting every word as Genesis smirked.

"I'll just have to witness something then, won't I? Don't worry, I'll talk to him first—I'll explain everything that you didn't, and give him another opportunity to make the right choice. I'm sure he'll see it my way."

He picked his book back up, leaning back in his seat as he resumed where he had left off. Both his boyfriends were eyeing him, probably debating some kind of response. It didn't matter though—the ideas were already piling up in his mind. They had waited far too long for Zack; there was no way he'd let go so easily now that the time was finally right.

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><p><em>The response so far has been very nice! Thank you all :-D Yes, Angeal is a responsible shithead, but I love the guy anyway<em>—_he'll get better in time!_

_Most the story will follow Zack and/or Cloud from here on out, together or interacting with the others_—_there will only be __a few of these AGC interludes to let you know why things are happening the way they're going to happen_. _I'm sure you can guess where it's going to some extent, but hopefully there will be a few surprises! More to come soon._


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